Senior year countF
Senior year of high school is busy. There are college
applications to complete, prom plans to make, and
graduation ceremonies to celebrate. Add the
infectious disease of senioritis and finishing strong
slides down the list of priorities for many students.
Last year, Michigan State University received a
record number of freshman applications—more
than 30,000. Application volumes this large mean
tougher admissions criteria and stringent senior
grade reviews for each student. Getting an
acceptance letter isn't a ticket to coasting through
senior year.
If you're the parent of a student who's planning to
head to college next fall, here are five tips from
MSU's Office of Admissions to guide you and your
student through senior year of high school:
1. Stay focused on grades. There is no substitute for
a strong GPA. Your student should strive to
maintain—or even improve—an already
impressive GPA.
2. Keep it challenging.
The best high
school transcripts
will show consistent
Center marks 10 years as hub of MSU Jewish life
For the past decade, the Lester and
Jewell Morris Hillel Jewish Student
Center has served as a vibrant hub for
Jewish life at Michigan State
University.
This year, MSU Hillel is celebrating the
10th anniversary of the opening of
the center, which is located at 360
Charles St. in East Lansing.
"This building symbolizes the
renaissance of Jewish life at MSU,"
says Cindy Hughey, MSU Hillel
executive director.
In October 2000, Patti Phillips learned
that her father, Lester J. Morris,
The Lester and Jewell Morris Hillel Jewish Student Center, located at 360
Charles St. in East Lansing, will host a tailgate before the MSU versus Nebraska
football game on November 3 in celebration of its 10th year as the hub of
Jewish life at MSU.
wanted to contribute to a new Hillel
building at MSU. Morris passed away the evening following that conversation, but Phillips, who had
attended MSU and has served as president of the MSU Hillel board of directors, kept his desire close
to her heart.
Later that year, when Hughey and leadership from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
initiated a capital campaign for a new Hillel building, Phillips's family's foundation—the Meyer and
Anna Prentis-Morris Wagner Support Foundation—provided the naming gift for the new facility.
grades in
"My father strongly believed in the youth and their Judaism," Phillips says. "We decided that since
challenging classes.
Dad loved kids and Mom loved kids, this would be the right thing to do."
A senior-year
schedule should be
designed to best
prepare your
student for college
The Lester J. Morris Hillel Jewish Student Center was dedicated in fall 2002, and the new building
resulted in an increase in the number of students utilizing resources. Students started coming to
MSU Hillel to study; attend meetings, events, Shabbat dinners, and Sunday brunches; or to just
hang out.
and include at least
With more students and the need for more space, MSU Hillel launched a second capital campaign in
three core
2008, which made possible the construction of the building's Hattie and Moses Morris Wing. The
academics per term.
building was then rededicated as the Lester and Jewell Morris Hillel Jewish Student Center, to honor
Advanced classes
both Phillips's father and mother.
impress and say that your student is ready for
college-level work.
3. Stay involved. Don't let your student stop
participating in clubs or organizations. Balancing
work, social activities, family obligations, and
outside activities is a critical skill needed for
college and later in a profession.
4. Personal statement. Be sure your student takes
the time to proofread each essay on college
"I'm really proud that we did this as a family," Phillips says. "I'm proud to have my parents' names on
the building. It is so beautiful and homey. I just love it."
Today, about 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students participate regularly in MSU Hillel
activities and consider the center a home away from home.
"Having our own center on campus both for Jewish students and the broader community is great,"
says Alex Waldman of Bloomfield Township, an international relations senior and Jewish Student
Union president. "This house is what unifies us—we all come here to connect, not only on a
religious level but on a cultural one as well."
applications. Nothing looks worse to an MSU
admissions counselor than an essay that reads, "I
can't wait to be a Wolverine at Michigan State
University."
5. Pay attention to deadlines. Make sure you don't
miss important deadlines for applications and
scholarships. At MSU, applications should be
submitted by November 1 for maximum
consideration for all scholarships.
"I'm so proud of how far we've come in 10 years,"
10TH ANNIVERSARY TAILGATE
CELEBRATION AT MSU HILLEL
Join the MSU Hillel celebration at
360 Charles St., East Lansing,
before the Nebraska versus MSU
football game on November 3.
Visit msuhiliel.org for more
details.
Hughey says, noting that MSU Hillel now provides
students with enrichment and leadership
opportunities through more than 200 programs
each year.
"Our students, board of directors, staff, and
countless others have all helped build this
wonderful community," she says.